Second Time's the Charm
by PrettyInPinkGrl
Summary: It all started with a kiss, Monday morning. Well, not exactly. In between remembering what lead to the kiss, & what really happened at Derek’s birthday party, Casey & Derek realize that sometimes the second kiss is much harder than the first. 3part Dasey
1. Part One: The Early Riser & All Nighter

**Second Time's the Charm**

A/N: This story is going to be moving back and forth in time between Monday morning/afternoon/evening, and the previous Friday/Saturday. So if you don't understand a reference, give it time, all will be explained by the end of the story. I'm going back and forth cause I wanted to write a story that started with a first kiss between Derek and Casey, and ended with their second kiss, but I also wanted to explain the motivation for the first kiss, because I think motivation and build-up is really important, and they aren't valued nearly enough. So anyways, I hope you guys like this first part of the story. Please review if you'd like to read more, the reviews really mean a lot to me. If you enjoyed reading it, check out my other Dasey story that I'm currently working on; 'Delicate'. Thanks for reading!

**Part One**: The Early Riser and the All-Nighter

_Monday, 7:04 am_

It all started when Casey woke up Monday morning following an especially weird weekend. As a self-proclaimed early riser she was especially surprised to see Derek sitting at the kitchen table, shovelling cereal in his mouth before she had even managed to make her way down the stairs. Normally this would have irritated her; a bothersome break from her morning routine. However, in light of the weekend's events, she welcomed it.

Since Casey hadn't even seen Derek since Saturday night, she wondered if he still remembered their conversation; what he'd said to her so sweetly as he reached over and with a casual sweep of his hand, brushed the hair from her face. Maybe he didn't remember at all. What meant so much to Casey probably wasn't even a speck on Derek's subconscious.

With a resolute sigh, accompanied by a cautious yet hopeful glance, Casey perched herself next to him and reached for the box of Corn Flakes. The silence was overwhelming, and Derek didn't seem aware of her presence, let alone interested in speaking with her. As Casey poured a small serving of cereal into the bowl she decided she'd be the one to speak first. Something neutral to begin with, so she wouldn't embarrass herself.

"So, I'm surprised to see you here," she said, her voice practically echoing in the empty kitchen. Derek glanced up from his cereal, as if he just realized she was seated beside him. "I never took you for an early riser," she continued with false cheerfulness. No matter how unsettled he made her feel, she'd never let that on. That's for sure.

"That's cause I'm not," Derek said simply, pushing soggy Coco Puffs around his bowl.

"An early riser?" Casey inquired as she took a small bite.

"Nope. Not an early riser today or any day. I stayed up all night," Derek explained as he reached for more cereal, drowning the soggy puffs in some fresh ones.

"You pulled an all-nighter?" Casey asked, her eyebrows raised. "Too pumped to sleep or something?" she tried to take the edge out of the question, but she couldn't help herself. The fact that Derek probably partied with girls the night before bugged her. It really did. And judging by the look on Derek's face, he realized that too.

"Why do you care?" Derek asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't," Casey said, attempting to shrug casually, but failing—acting casually did not come naturally to her.

"Sure, Case," Derek replied with a self-satisfied smirk. "Anyways, no, it wasn't really a crazy night. Kind of boring compared to Saturday," he paused, the smirk starting to fade from his face. "I couldn't sleep cause I was thinking, that's all." He got up and placed the cereal bowl in the sink with a clang.

"You? Thinking? I wasn't aware you were able to use that part of your brain," Casey said, instinctually. _Shoot_. If she wanted her relationship with Derek to change, she'd have to stop bickering with him so much.

But Derek laughed good naturedly. "At least I have the coordination part of my brain working, klutzilla," Derek replied as he returned to his seat.

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious," Casey replied, but she was smiling, despite herself. She didn't mind the teasing with Derek, as long as it didn't get too personal or mean. "So, really, how was last night? Did you have a good birthday?"

"It wasn't bad, as far as birthday's go," Derek replied calmly. "Could have been better though." Did Casey detect a slight hinting tone to his voice? Derek continued before she had a chance to respond. "So why are you so curious about yesterday, anyhow?"

"Oh I was just wondering, since I didn't see you all day," Casey said, as she took another bite of cereal, hoping that Derek would get the hint that she'd missed him.

"Oh… huh, didn't notice," Derek said casually, setting Casey up to have to come right out and say it. She sighed.

"Were you avoiding me or something?" Casey asked.

Instead of asking her why she'd ask such a thing, or talk about Saturday night, Derek simply said; "Nope. Had hockey practice then time with the guys. It's not my fault you're such an _early riser_ that you end up going to bed before the sun sets, _Grandma_." He leaned over and teasingly bumped his shoulder against hers with a confident grin.

"Oh, shut up," Casey said, smiling in spite of herself. "Ten isn't _that_ early."

"Not if you're eighty."

Casey laughed and bumped her shoulder against his in return. Their eyes met and their bright grins faded, revealing smaller, shyer smiles in their place.

After a moment, Casey spoke. "Can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

"Shoot."

"Did you…" Casey needed to work up the courage before she could finish her question. Sinking her nails into her forearm for encouragement, Casey continued. "Did you mean what you said, Saturday night?"

"What part?" Derek asked casually, his eyebrows raised.

"You know what part," Casey sighed, a bit annoyed that he was making this more difficult for her than it had to be.

"Yes…no… I don't know," Derek said in response, spinning a spoon around the table as he struggled with what to say.

"What don't you know?" Casey asked.

Derek simply shrugged in response, causing Casey to sigh deeply in return.

"Why is it so hard for you to _just be nice for once_?" she asked, her voice reaching the screechy decibels she always hit when she was angry. "You avoid it at all costs, and the one time you say something that means a lot to me, you take it back!" Casey felt her eyes filling with hot angry tears.

"I know," Derek said quietly, his eyes glued to the kitchen table. "I didn't mean to, it's just… it's complicated."

Casey was taken by surprise by Derek's quiet thoughtful demeanour instead of his normal witty retorts. "What's complicated?" she asked, hoping it would lead to him opening up some more. Instead, Casey got more than she bargained for.

Derek hesitated for a second, then finally it seemed like some sort of inner struggle was over. "This," he said as he leaned over, cupping Casey's startled face in his hands. His breath warmly teased her cheeks and her lips until finally his mouth was against hers. Casey was surprised at first by the sudden bout of affection, but soon relaxed and returned his embrace, her mouth opening in response. They kissed deeply, passionately, with all the emotion they had pent up for each other over the years, and especially this weekend. His hands cradled her face, almost as if he was afraid she'd run away if he let go.

Just as Casey was about to pull back and ask Derek for the clarity she so desperately needed; _she had to know just where this was going_, footsteps thudded down the stairs. Instinctually, Derek and Casey moved apart as quickly as possible, Derek wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. _Good thing I wasn't wearing lipgloss_, Casey thought to herself, as she awkwardly took a big bite of now-soggy cereal.

"Hey people," Edwin said cheerfully as he marched into the room. "What's new?"

"Nothing," Casey and Derek said in unison. They exchanged glances quickly.

"Okay…" Edwin said reluctantly as he sat down, grabbing the box of Coco Puffs and pouring himself a bowl.

"So yeah…" Casey said awkwardly as she stood up, placing her bowl carefully in the sink. "Gotta go… school beckons… and whatnot," blinking confusedly she left, brushing past Derek on the way. "Whatnot?" she mumbled audibly to herself. "Who says whatnot?!"

"What's with her?" Edwin asked as he motioned towards Casey's retreating figure with his spoon.

"Hm?" Derek replied casually.

"Just she's acting weird," said Edwin suspiciously.

Derek smirked. "Well that's Casey for you."

_Monday, 7:51 am_

"Hey Case," a random stranger stated, smiling at her as Casey walked through the halls.

"Sup Casey," another guy greeted.

"Hey Casey! Killer party!"

"Um, thanks," Casey said with a small smile. "Thanks you guys."

"There you are!" Emily exclaimed as Casey finally made her way to their locker.

"Here I am," Casey responded with another awkward smile. She didn't quite know how to act after the kiss that morning with Derek. It felt so weird to think about. She kissed Derek. Part of her felt giddy, that the guy she liked might actually like her too. But another part of her worried and considered every possibility. Maybe this was all a joke to Derek? Maybe this was a bet? Maybe the kiss didn't go well for him? Maybe that was the only kiss they would ever share?

"Why didn't you call me Saturday night? Or answer the phone all day yesterday?" Emily asked, breaking Casey free from her stupor.

"Huh?" Casey blinked. "I was supposed to call?"

"Yeah!" Emily exclaimed. "You were supposed to tell me about how things went with Chris!"

"Oh yeah," Casey said quietly, retrieving a book from her locker, her gaze downcast.

"So…" Emily trailed off. "How did it?"

"How did what?"

"How did things go with Chris?!" Emily snapped impatiently.

"Oh, well," Casey busied herself with taking random things out of her bag and shoving them into her locker. "Things didn't quite work out."

"Oh, they didn't?" Emily's face couldn't mask her disappointment. "I'm sorry to hear that Case. I thought he'd be a nice guy."

"Yeah," Casey replied. "So did I."

_The P__revious Friday, 11:55 pm_

"Casey!" Emily exclaimed as she ran up to her best friend at the locker they shared. "I have the best news! And for once, I think you'll actually really like it!"

"Why on _Earth_ is Derek allowed to have a huge party?" Casey snapped, completely engulfed in her own annoyance. "You'd think my mom and George would have enough sense to see that Derek plus parties equals total disaster!"

"Yeah, but about the party—" Emily said, but Casey cut her off.

"And another thing! Why should he be allowed the privilege of no parental supervision?! That sort of thing should be earned, not given on a silver platter to a stupid spoiled brat who thinks he's the center of the universe! Am I right?!"

"Well…" Emily said. "Technically your parents will be downstairs during the party right? So that's half-supervision."

"Still!" Casey huffed as she slammed her locker door shut.

"Does it bother you that Derek's having a huge party?" Emily asked with raised eyebrows.

"No!" Casey snapped. "Why would it bother me that Derek Venturi gets his way… again… and then proceeds to rub it in my face that he gets this outrageous party, when at my last birthday I had to be taken to the hospital?! No, it doesn't bother me at all!"

"Um, good?" Emily hesitated. "Well at least we'll be able to go and have a great time… it's supposed to be one of the biggest parties of the year." The two girls began to walk towards their Biology class.

"What makes you think I'd want to be a witness to this gross example of preferential treatment?!"

"Because," Emily said with a bright smile, finally able to tell Casey her news. "You have a date!"

"A date?" Casey asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "I didn't have a date scheduled."

"No, you didn't," Emily replied excitedly. "But I got you one! With Sheldon's cousin Chris!"

"I didn't know Sheldon had a cousin here," said Casey cautiously.

"He didn't until today actually!" explained Emily. "He just moved here from Ottawa… today was his first day of classes. Sheldon thought it would be a good idea to bring him to Derek's party to help him get to know some people here."

"Oh, great, and I'm the dateless one, so I get to test him out," Casey said glumly.

"Give him a chance, Case. Sheldon said he's actually a really great guy!"

"They all are," Casey mumbled quietly.

"Well, now you'll get a chance to preview him before the party. He's in our Bio class."

Casey stopped dead in her tracks. "He's in… that room?" she motioned panic-stricken to the open door to their right.

"Yeah, go on!" Emily said as she grabbed Casey by the arm. "How bad could it be?"

"Well I don't know, Em," Casey snapped as she was dragged towards the classroom. "Not to be superficial or anything, but he could be really gross and creepy!"

Emily shoved Casey into the room, waving over at Sheldon, who stood up, followed by his cousin. He was tall with short dark brown hair, warm green eyes and a killer smile, wearing a button-down shirt and jeans.

Casey gasped. "Or he could be really gorgeous and put-together!" she exclaimed happily. "Is he really related to Sheldon? No offence Em," Casey added.

"None taken," Emily replied, too happy things were working out to be bothered that Casey had just insulted her boyfriend.

Casey marched right over to Chris. "Hi, I'm Casey," she announced cheerfully as she shook Chris's hand.

"Chris," he responded with a charming smile. "I was told you'd be beautiful, but that word just doesn't come close to describing how you look."

Casey giggled happily. This would be a party she'd never forget.

_Monday, 7:54 am_

Derek arrived at school with only a few minutes to spare, as usual, to the normal chorus of greetings and compliments. Well, maybe more than usual since his killer party that weekend. Some had even said it was the party of the year. Too bad Derek had been too distracted to enjoy it.

As he swung his locker door open, hastily grabbing some books, he spotted Emily speaking with Miss. Distraction herself. Casey looked agitated, and her actions lacked the careful precision she was known for, as she dumped her things carelessly into her bag. Derek was sure he knew the reason behind her mood, but wasn't sure how he felt about it. Why did he kiss her anyway?

Just as Derek seriously contemplated his more than friendly feelings toward his stepsister, his arm was squeezed.

"Derek!" a female voice exclaimed. "How was your birthday?"

"Oh, hey Brittany," Derek replied. "It was… it was good."

"So about your party, what happened?" the pretty blonde asked. "I thought you were supposed to take me home. You could have stayed a while, you know," she said as she played with the bottom seam of Derek's t-shirt.

"Um," Derek responded, his eyes and focus still on Casey. "I had… you know, things to do, party people to see." As he spoke, Casey's eyes raised to meet his. He felt his stomach churn under her gaze and she quickly glanced away.

"Like that's even a good excuse," Brittany snapped as she turned on her heel and left. Derek, who was still watching Casey, couldn't bring himself to even pretend to care.

_The Previous Friday, 6:48 pm_

"My birthday is going to be massive," Derek announced with a confident grin. "In fact, I think I'll call it 'Derek's Birthday Extravaganza'. First I have my party Saturday night, which, I should mention, will be the biggest party our school has ever seen. Then on my actual birthday, Sunday I have hockey practice, followed up with a full day out with the guys to celebrate… partying until who knows when. And Monday I get my favourite meal for dinner, cake and presents. What could be better?" He smirked self-satisfied in Casey's direction, knowing it was probably killing her that there would be an entire three days devoted to him.

Instead, Casey simply smiled back calmly. "I'm happy for you Derek," she said from her place on the couch. "Sounds like a great birthday."

Instantly, Derek's suspicions rose, and he surfed through the channels on the TV quickly, only pausing for a second on each. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Casey smiled brightly. "I just have a date to your little party, that's all."

"You managed to get a date with someone today? Who? The president of the chess club?" Derek scoffed.

"Nope. Sheldon's cousin who just moved here from Ottawa. And," she added, before Derek could cut in with a Sheldon joke. "He's actually really cute. And charming," Casey sighed, delighted.

"How nice for you, but forgive me if I don't believe that, since your taste in guys leaves something to be desired," Derek replied with a smirk.

"Whatever, you'll see for yourself, tomorrow night," Casey said with a satisfied smile.

"Who says you were invited to my party, Space Case?" Derek asked.

"What?!" Casey exclaimed, as she shot up in her seat, her calm demeanour disappearing. "Mom! George!" Casey whined. "Tell Derek I'm coming to his lame little party!"

"Of course she is, Derek," George's voice called from the kitchen. "And she can bring whoever she wants."

"Ha," Casey grinned, sinking back against the couch as the phone rang.

"Whatever, like I care," Derek retorted calmly. "Just don't get in the way of me and my fun. Cause I plan on having more fun than _you'll_ ever think possible."

"Derek, it's Brittany on the phone!" George announced.

"Speaking of fun," Derek smirked.

_Monday, 7:56 am_

Lost in his thoughts, Derek continued to watch Casey as she tucked her hair behind her ears, saying something to Emily with a small smile.

The two girls began walking towards their English classroom, and Derek followed trying to seem inconspicuous.

But then something happened that Derek didn't expect.

"Casey!" a tall dark-haired guy exclaimed, as he grabbed Casey by the arm.

"What do you want, Chris?" Casey asked angrily, trying to shrug him off.

"I just want to talk to you," he said.

"I have to go to class," Casey said with an annoyed sigh as she again, tried to get him to let go. That's when Derek decided to intervene.

"Okay, let her go." Derek said, as he approached them, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Dude, it's not your business," Chris replied. "I just gotta talk to her, that's all."

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Derek replied, fighting the urge to both tell the guy that it _was_ his business and to punch him square across his smug face. "Get lost. Seriously."

"Fine," Chris said, as he let go of Casey, holding his hands up in mock surrender as he backed away. "Whatever. I don't care."

"If you don't leave her alone, I'll give you something to care about," Derek retorted. He reached out to Casey and touched her arm comfortingly. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Casey replied, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks Derek. No, really… thank you. That was… sweet of you."

"It's no problem," Derek said with a shrug, smiling back awkwardly in return. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine," Casey replied, her blue eyes locked with his, almost as if she was searching for something. He gazed back, unable to look away.

"Can I—" Derek began, but was cut off by the bell, signalling the first class. "See you later then," he said quickly, as he turned around, heading in the direction of his Math classroom.

"Bye," he heard Casey's voice reply softly, his stomach tying up in knots in response. _What the hell was going on with him?!_

**In part two**: At his birthday party, Derek discovers that Casey's date is shady. What will he do about it? Try to get in between them as much as he can, of course. Monday, Casey learns from experience that second kisses are much more difficult than firsts.


	2. Part Two: Stupid, Lousy Second Kiss!

Part Two

**Second Time's the Charm**

A/N: So part 2 is actually pretty long. Sorry about that, but it's just kind of the way it happened as I wrote it. Oh well, hopefully you guys enjoy long chapters. I'm hoping it'll all make sense, going back and forth in time. Just keep in mind that the party stuff happened before the Monday stuff, almost as if in a flashback, and all of the Monday stuff at school is a direct result of the stuff that happened at the party on Saturday. Yeah so, enjoy and please, please do review if you like the story. I would really appreciate it, and I truly do treasure each review I get. If you enjoy this story, check out my other Dasey LWD fic, 'Delicate'. Thanks again, and happy reading!

**Part Two****: Stupid Lousy Second Kiss**

Alternate chapter title: It's my party and I'll spy if I want to.

_Saturday__, 8:39 pm_

"Oh Der-bear has anyone ever told you that you have the cutest hair?" Brittany giggled, as she reached up, running her hands through his thick mop of waves.

"Well Brittany," Derek replied as he glanced down at her from his place on the arm of the couch, wearing what Casey could only describe as a smirk. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the best taste in hair?"

Brittany shrieked yet another giggle as she continued playing with Derek's hair. "You're so funny! Isn't he funny Casey?" she asked the brunette seated to her right.

"Oh yeah," Casey replied dully, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. "He's a real riot. I've been telling him he should join the circus for years now. Clown College is probably the only post-secondary institution that would take him with _his_ grades," Casey snickered smugly at her own joke, glancing at Brittany and Derek to see their reactions.

Derek rolled his eyes, as Brittany simply blinked confusedly. "I… I don't get it," she said.

"Of course you don't," Casey said with a sigh, as she patted the poor girl's knee. She stood up quickly, shooting Derek a comment as she walked towards the kitchen to get some water. "She's a real keeper Derek."

"Yeah well at least I have a date," he replied with a calm smirk. "I see your Mr. Perfect is a no-show."

Normally Casey would have cleverly retorted that no date was better than Brittany, or responded to the bait by insisting that the night was young and Emily and Sheldon would be here soon, Chris in tow. But Casey was simply too grouchy to respond in either way. But why? The night _was_ still young. Emily had told her that they might not make it there till around 9. So why was she so bothered?

Casey reached for a bottle of water from the fridge, closing the door with a slam as she eyed Derek and Brittany crossly. Derek was reaching forward, touching Brittany just under her chin as he smiled a charismatic sideways grin, just for her. Casey felt something bubbling angrily in her stomach. Could it be _jealousy?_

Casey scoffed. Did she really want to be Brittany right now? Her hands in Derek's overly thick unruly hair, him invading Casey's personal space by touching her face, as he smirked his irritatingly smug, self-satisfied… yet undeniably sexy smile. _Yeah, right._

Placing the bottle of water on the kitchen counter, Casey glanced around looking for someone, _anyone_ she knew. She'd been resorting to hanging out with Derek and Brittany for the past hour since at least they knew her name wasn't Stacy. What had happened? Last year she was their freaking homecoming queen and now all of a sudden, because she wasn't with a football player anymore she'd dropped off the social radar? Not fair!

Suddenly she saw a familiar face in the crowd. Emily! Casey made her way over to her best friend eagerly.

"Em!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Emily. "Don't ever leave me again," she whispered in her ear.

"Someone call you Stacy again?"

Casey nodded glumly.

"Well, something to cheer you up then," Emily grinned. "Chris, you remember Casey," she said gesturing towards the tall figure standing behind her. She moved out of the way so that Casey and Chris could talk.

"How could I forget?" Chris said with a confident smile, and Casey matched his happily. Ha, she'd show Derek that she could get a date.

"Well I'll let you two get to know each other better," Emily said knowingly.

"Wait, weren't we all going to hang?" Sheldon asked cluelessly.

"Come on, _dear_," Emily said as she yanked him away.

"Sup, Macy," someone said as they walked by Casey. "Great party."

"It's _CASEY_!" Casey exclaimed. "I mean… uh… yeah, thanks." She laughed casually. "It's Casey by the way, in case, you know, you were wondering." She tucked her hair behind her ears shyly. "So…"

"So…" Chris repeated. "Wanna dance?" he motioned towards the area where several couples were dancing along to the latest Rhianna track.

"Um, sure," Casey smiled brightly. They walked towards the dance floor, but suddenly Casey's eyes connected with something unpleasant; Derek was getting awfully cosy with Brittany. They were laughing about something, his face close to hers, their fingers interlocked. Suddenly Casey felt a desperate need to break up their bonding. "Oh wait," she said, turning towards Chris. "I have someone I want to introduce you to first," she explained, smiling self-satisfied at her ingenious excuse.

"Um, sure," Chris replied, but Casey was already tugging him by the arm towards Derek and Brittany on their couch.

"Derek, Brittany," Casey smiled stiffly.

"Casey," Derek replied with a trademark arrogant grin.

"_Casey_," Brittany shot with a fake smile, her venomous eyes betraying the false kindness. _If looks could kill, then Derek would be having a funeral party for me right now_, Casey thought to herself.

"This is Chris," Casey said, waving her hands in the air to present him, almost as if she was one of Barker's Beauties presenting a Showcase on the Price is Right.

"Hey man, I'm Derek," Derek said, as he reached forward, shaking Chris's hand forcefully, his eyes glinting with some unknown thought.

"I'm Brittany," Derek's blonde stated. "Spelt the non-Spears way."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "So, you two dating?" he asked Derek.

"_NO_!" Casey, Derek and Brittany all exclaimed in unison.

"He's my stepbrother!" Casey explained quickly.

"That would be, like, gross," Brittany added.

"And she's not my type anyways," Derek said, with a smirk in Casey's direction.

"Yeah, I have a brain," Casey retorted.

"No, no, no," Chris insisted. "I meant Brittany and Derek."

There was a chorus of relieved responses.

"Nah, they're not dating," Casey scoffed.

"Well," Derek said, as he slung his arm around Brittany's shoulder, enjoying the death-glares he was receiving from Casey. "Not right now, but we'll see what the future holds."

Brittany giggled. "What Der-bear said."

"Yeah well who knows what could happen with Chris, right Chris?" Casey said, smiling up at her date.

"Uh, yeah, sure…"

"Well at least _my_ date isn't related to a Schleper," Derek smirked.

"Well _my_ date knows how to have an intellectual conversation."

"_My _date is the head cheerleader."

"My date…is…" Casey struggled with what else to say. "He's tall!"

Derek snickered. "_My_ date has taste… in dates," he said simply. "Unlike some. No offence, man," he said to Chris.

"Uh, none taken."

"Der-_EK_!" Casey exclaimed. "Argh, let's go Chris," Casey yanked him by the arm as she pulled him away.

"Later, Stacy!" Derek called after her, laughing heartily.

_The Following __Monday, 11:21 am_

"And then Sheldon was like 'but I thought you liked horror movies' and I said, 'yeah, but not as an anniversary gift.' Can you believe that Case? Case?"

"Uh huh… bad gift… yeah," Casey said blankly as she gazed over Emily's shoulder at Derek, who was chatting with some friends while eating a sandwich. He probably hadn't even noticed her.

"Case, not to be overly critical, but it's kind of nice to have people listen to me when I talk, you know? Case?" Emily raised her fingers in front of Casey's face and snapped.

"Huh?"

"Eyes here," Emily said, pointing at her own face.

"Oh, sorry Em," Casey said, blinking several times as if to get out of a trance. "I was just… zoning out, that's all."

"Yeah, zoning out is right," Emily said with a smirk. "I've seen that face before. That was a face only a boy could cause. So, who is he? Did you meet him at the party? In one of your classes?"

"Uh…"

Emily swivelled around on her seat to find out who it was and immediately realized. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, turning back to Casey with wide eyes. "It's Derek, isn't it? Oh it so is."

"Em, before you say anything…"

"You and Derek! I totally knew it! You guys have had this weird sexual tension half-flirting, half-fighting thing going on for ages. I knew it would lead to something!"

Casey blushed as she gazed down at her sandwich. "Was it that obvious?"

"Uh, _yeah_! So tell me all the details! I have to know."

"Well…"

"Does he know you like him?"

"I don't know…"

"Do you know if he likes you?"

"I don't know…"

"Did you kiss him?"

"Um…"

"You did, didn't you? You definitely did. I know you, Casey. So, how was it?"

Casey let out a deep sigh. "It was… it was great, you know. I didn't expect it to be like that, but it was just natural, and he kissed me, and if just felt… right," she offered shyly.

"So how many times have you kissed?" Emily asked eagerly.

"Um, once? This morning?"

"Ah, so you still have the dreaded second kiss to worry about…"

"Second kiss?" Casey asked, her forehead wrinkling.

"Oh that's right, every other kiss you've had was in a relationship, wasn't it?"

"Well…"

"Okay, what I mean is that, first kisses are easy. They just happen naturally you know? And you don't worry or consider what they'll be like because you're in the moment. But second kisses are different. You already know what it's like, and your expectations are high. It can get pretty awkward sometimes, you know, the time between the first kiss and the second kiss."

"Yeah?" Casey asked, worriedly. "I think I've experienced some of that awkwardness already."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Emily said, as she took a sip of juice.

"So what do I do then?" Casey asked. "How do I avoid all of that?"

"Just try to be normal with Derek," Emily replied, but paused. "Well… as normal as you can be. Just try chatting with him as a friend about other things, try to let the second kiss happen naturally, don't build it up in your mind or anything."

"Kind of hard after you told me what a big deal it is!" Casey cried.

"Just do your best… besides, it's Derek. He never gets nervous about anything. I'm sure you won't have time to think about it anyway. He'll just pull you in for another one without any warning." Emily sighed dreamily.

"Hey! Watch it missy. Besides, you have Sheldon," Casey glared.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," Emily replied sheepishly.

"It's okay. Anyway, I bet you're right. It's actually been kind of okay talking to him anyway… ever since the party, and all."

As Casey glanced over at Derek's table again, she caught him staring at her. He looked away quickly, but Casey held her glance until he looked at her again. This time he didn't look away.

"Casey? What happened at the party anyway?"

_The Previous __Saturday, 10:03 pm_

"Der-bear, do you want a Coke?"

"Yeah, sure."

"How about some ice?"

"Yeah, yep."

"Which do you want? Coke, Root beer or Dr. Pepper?" Brittany asked.

"Uh huh, definitely. Sounds good."

"Derek, you're not even listening to me, are you?!" she screeched, lunging forward to smack him.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Derek asked, reluctantly turning his gaze towards the irate blonde sitting beside him, as he rubbed his arm.

"I was talking to you. You can, like, listen, you know."

"Sorry, Britt. I was… distracted," Derek said, his eyes yet again drifting towards Casey. She was grinding with Chris on the dance floor to some R&B. Pretty damn well, he might add. Derek had no idea Casey could dance like that… all down… and dirty… and the fact that she was doing it with that tool bothered Derek incessantly. He did _not_ like that guy. There was just something off about him.

"Why do you keep, like, staring at Casey, you creep?!" Brittany asked, as she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Derek pulled himself away from the Casey watching again. "I'm just very protective of my step-sister," he explained, reaching out to touch Brittany's arm, soothingly. He turned up the Venturi charm, shooting his date a dazzling smile. "I just really care about my family, you know. Especially my step mom and my little sis's. I feel like I really need to protect and take care of them and stuff. I'm very in touch with my feminine side," he explained with a solemn nod.

"Awww, Der-bear, that's so sweet!" Brittany squealed. "You are such a great guy," she threw her arms around Derek's neck and gave him a hug. "You know, I heard that, like, guys who are really, like, nice to their mom and sisters, make, like, really nice boyfriends."

Derek smiled graciously. "I heard that too. But you know, I am who I am."

"You're awesome," Brittany said, kissing Derek on the cheek. "No worries on the pop. I'll bring us back one of each. With ice."

"Um, can you crush the ice?" Derek asked.

"Sure!" And with that, she skipped off.

"_Excellent, more time for Casey-watching_," Derek muttered softly. He received a strange look from a nerdy-looking kid nearby who must have heard.

"What? What do you want? Go play Dungeons and Dragons or something," Derek said fiercely and the guy scampered off.

Derek smirked, self-satisfied, and scanned the dance floor for Casey and the Tool. Ah, there she was, giggling at something Chris said, as she touched his arm. Derek sighed impatiently. He waited for them to start dancing again, but then Casey leaned forward, saying something to Chris who nodded. With that, she smiled and headed up the stairs.

Ah, very good. Time for Operation _Find Out What This Creep Is Up To_. He'd work on the title later. Derek stood up, casually walking in Chris's direction but allowing himself to be shielded by a couple dancing. Chris was heading towards the kitchen. Derek quickly followed, ducking under the table. _Come on, brag_, Derek commanded inwardly. If he was right about the kind of guy this dude was, he'd be bragging to anyone who'd listen. _Just do it. Confirm my suspicions._

"Hey, you having a good time?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Hell, yeah, I am. Have you seen my date?" Chris's voice replied.

"Stacy?"

"I think her name's Casey. Not really sure though. Too distracted by noticing other things, if you know what I mean."

Derek grunted angrily.

"What was that?" Chris asked. Derek clamped his hands over his mouth quickly, his eyes wide.

"I dunno, dude. So, anyway, you gonna go for it tonight?"

"Ohhh yeah. The girl's not exactly popular, so I think if I pull it off, no one will believe her later anyway. I'll be free and clear with the other lucky chicks in your school."

The nameless guy laughed. "Well, good luck man. Maybe after Macy's all sad and stuff, I can swoop in and… comfort. If you know what I mean."

Chris joined in on the laughter. "I do. You have good luck scoring tonight too."

"Thanks, dude."

"There you are!" Derek heard a familiar voice exclaim happily. For a split second Derek worried she was talking to him.

"Hey, Case," Chris said. "Later man," he said to the other guy.

"Later!" Casey exclaimed. "Aww, you made a friend! Yay!" her voice trailed off as the two moved further away.

Soon there was relative silence, and it seemed like the coast was clear. Derek hoisted himself up so that he was leaning against the counter, munching on a pretzel. He faintly realized that Brittany wasn't in the kitchen getting their drinks which meant that she was probably looking for him. But Derek had more important things on his mind. How in the hell was he supposed to stop this guy from taking advantage of Casey? There was only one plan he had in mind, and it was risky. But he had to try.

As Derek chewed thoughtfully on a mouthful of pretzels, he heard a cough from behind him. He turned around and spotted the same nerdy-looking kid from before. Man, that guy was silent like a ninja. Where did he always come from?

"I'm not usually this lame," Derek explained.

The nerdy guy simply nodded, his eyebrows raised.

_Monday, 1:2__1 pm_

Normally, Casey loved her free study period. She'd do as much homework and extra credit projects as she could in the time allotted. Sometimes she'd play a sort of game, almost a bet with herself. She'd try to guess how much work she'd be able to get done, and if she met her goal, she'd reward herself with a new book or pair of earrings or perhaps even a chocolate bar.

But today, Casey was 20 minutes in and, with no work done, she already knew she wasn't going to get a prize. She just simply could not concentrate, no matter how hard she tried. Never had tales of the Cold War thrilled her less. She kept picturing her second kiss with Derek in her mind, as she gazed down at her open text book, her chin perched on her hand.

_She'd be walking down the hall towards her locker, and out of nowhere an arm would reach out and grab her, dragging her into the janitor's closet. _

_There, Derek would say "Casey, you are the only one for me. I feel that I am perhaps akin to a wild beast; crazed and carefree. But you are the only woman who can tame me. __Tame my wild ways Casey, tame me please."_

_Then Casey would go "Oh Derek," but he'd hush her, his finger to her lips._

"_We can talk later. For now, please let me kiss you."_

_And then he would_. Oh, would it ever be perfect.

Just then there was a thump of someone's books being set on her table. "Is this seat taken?" the voice from her fantasy asked. "And no, that's not a cheesy line. I'd like to sit at your table, if that's okay, Case."

Casey glanced up, utterly surprised to see Derek in the library of all places. She was also kind of embarrassed that he caught her in the middle of one of her crazy fantasies. Well, at least it looked like she was studying. "Sure, sit down," she said, recovering quickly.

He sat on the seat next to her, opening his book so it looked like he was studying.

"So, come here often?" he said with a grin.

Casey rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here Derek? No offence, but this is the last place I'd expect to see you."

"None taken," he smirked. "Well, you see, my English teacher, Mr. Rivers, seems to think that I'm a distraction for the rest of the students. Always making jokes and smart-ass comments and so on."

"That sounds about right," Casey commented with a knowing smile.

"Yeah well, who said the guy was wrong. But he decided that he'd rather have me here, 'doing work'," Derek used air-quotes. "Then bothering the people who 'want to learn'." He used them again. "Like anyone actually does," he scoffed. "So here I am."

"Why didn't you just blow it off and go somewhere else?" Casey asked, genuinely curious.

"Aha, you see, I've done that before, and I would, but he's caught onto that routine by now, so he calls the librarian and has her watching me to make sure I'm present and accounted for."

"Smart guy."

"Yep. Little does he know though, that this isn't really a punishment."

"No?" Casey asked with raised eyebrows.

"Nope," Derek replied a small smile playing on his lips, as he leaned a bit closer. "Not anymore."

"Oh yeah?" Casey asked, feigning casualty as her heart raced and her stomach did flip flops. "Why's that?"

It was if there was a magnet, drawing them closer together. And once Casey glanced at Derek's full moist mouth, she found she couldn't look away. Not until she felt it against hers again. She barely noticed that he was opening his mouth to speak, as their faces moved closer and closer.

"'Cause of you," Derek whispered, his warm breath tickling Casey's face. It smelt like cinnamon gum and Casey wanted a taste.

And then the bell rang.

"Shit," Derek sighed as he leaned back in his chair. The spell was broken. "Shit, fuck, motherfucker," he mumbled to himself, as he gathered his books, standing up to push in his chair.

Normally Casey was against foul language, especially excessive use of it, but in this case she'd have to agree.

"See you later?" Derek asked her, with a small smile, his eyebrows raised, almost as if in a questioning _'Do you want to fulfil your fantasies in a closet with me later?'_ way.

"Yes. Later." Casey replied quickly, a smile of her own playing on her lips.

And then, before she had even a chance to blink, he was gone, hoisting his books up with one hand, lazily strutting from the room with more confidence than she'd _ever_ have.

Man, he was sexy.

Casey groaned as she collected her own books, stuffing them into her bag. Emily was right. Stupid lousy second kiss.

_The Previous Saturday, 10:41 pm_

"And then I told him 'you think that's funny? Wait till you see my skills _off_ the court!'"

Casey laughed. "And then what happened?"

"Yeah Chris, then what happened?" Derek asked as his head popped up from behind the couch.

"Derek what are you doing?" Casey asked impatiently.

Hopping over the couch, Derek sat himself in between Chris and Casey, smiling charismatically at each. "Just spending some quality time with my sis and Chris… hey that rhymes. Anyhow, Chris, you were saying…?"

"Uh… that's it," Chris said with an embarrassed shrug. "I told him 'wait till you see my skills off the court', and that was the end of it."

"Ah, I see," Derek nodded. "Not much of a story," he said with a stiff smile as he patted Chris on the shoulder. He turned to Casey. "So, Case, how's the night going for ya?"

"Oh well, it _would_ be going a lot better if you'd _stop butting in_ every ten minutes!" Casey exclaimed, annoyed.

"What's so wrong with wanting to spend some time with you?" Derek asked, feigning offence.

"We'll schedule a board game night," snapped Casey. She stood up, grabbing Chris by the hand. "Come on, Chris. Let's dance."

"I'll take you up on that board game night!" Derek called after them. "But I warn you, Casey McDonald! I'm an expert at Monopoly!"

"What _are_ you doing?" Brittany asked, suddenly appearing at Derek's side.

"Brittany, hey," Derek grinned. "How's it going? Good party? Glad you're having fun. Sorry for leaving you to fill up those chip bowls, but you know how it is. The people need their chips."

"I may be, like, not super smart like Casey, but I'm not, like, totally clueless." Brittany insisted. "You're like, following Casey around. Every ten minutes, you're pretty much checking up on her."

"Uh, yeah, listen Britt, I can explain…"

"You don't have to. I think it's just so super sweet that you're looking out for your sister like that!" Brittany squealed as she threw her arms around Derek's neck for a hug. "You're trying to make sure she has fun and that the guy isn't, like, boring her, or rude. That's so nice Der-bear! You're the best!"

"The best," Derek laughed nervously, as he pulled back from the hug. "Ah yes, yes, that's me. And uh… you figured me out, Britt. You're smarter than you look."

She smiled proudly. "So… wanna dance?"

"You know, that's a really nice offer," Derek said, as he got up. "But I'm going to have to take a rain check. Need to check up on the ol' step-sister, you know how it is."

"Oh okay," Brittany smiled, waving at him. Derek waved with a grin, as he backed up onto the dance floor. He spotted Casey, slow dancing with Chris and made his way over.

"Hey, can I cut in?" he asked when he reached them. "Thanks," he said without waiting for Chris to respond. He grabbed Casey by the waist as she reluctantly draped her arms around his neck with a roll of her eyes. Chris stumbled away muttering something about getting another drink.

"What's your problem?" Casey hissed in Derek's ear.

"Problem?" Derek acted innocent. "What problem? I'm just trying to dance with my sister, that's all."

"Oh, cut the sister crap," Casey said, as she rolled her eyes. "You know you don't think of me as your sister."

"You're right," Derek said, looking straight into her eyes. "I don't."

_Shit_, Derek thought to himself. _Shit, shit, shit._

Even as his gaze was transfixed on hers, he was able to notice her biting her lip. "Derek?" she said quietly.

"Mm?" he held her closer.

"What are you doing though? Really,"

"It's my birthday," he whispered in her ear. "And I can dance with anyone I want to." He thought she may have shivered, but he wasn't sure. He smiled his signature dazzling grin, hoping she'd just accept that. But this was Casey McDonald, so of course she didn't.

"Derek! Can't you be serious for one moment in your life?"

_I'm trying not to be. It's especially hard when my hands are on your waist and you smell so nice and your hair is so pretty and you're looking at me like that; like you don't mind dancing so close to me._ Derek wanted to say all of that aloud. But this was Derek Venturi, so of course he didn't.

"Sorry, Case. Not really. But the truth is, I don't really like that Chris guy. I'm just looking out for my si—for you. That's all."

"You don't like him?" Casey asked. "You don't even know him! He's a really nice guy."

"Listen, Casey, I know his type and—"

"His type? You mean like you? Okay, forgive me for saying this, because you're actually being nice to me for once in your life, but he is _nothing_ like you."

"Oh really?" Derek gritted his teeth.

"Yes. He's polite, he's charming, he's complimentary. He makes me feel great. Sorry if you're jealous but—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Derek interrupted with a snicker. "I am _not_ jealous."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it," she smiled smugly. "Always barging in on our conversations and dances like this…"

"I'm not jealous! I was just trying to help you. But never mind, Casey. Figure it out yourself. I'm not looking out for you anymore." Derek removed his hands from Casey's waist.

Casey seemed surprised. "Well then!" she recovered quickly, hurt and anger registering on her face. "Fine! See if I care. I'm going to go grab Chris and then we're going to spend some time _away_ from you, so you can't bother us anymore!"

"Sounds perfect!" Derek snapped angrily. He turned around and spotted Brittany chatting with another girl on the couches. He made his way over to her, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "What's up?"

As Brittany continued her conversation with the other girl, Derek chanced a glance behind him to see what was going on with Casey and Chris. He was just in time to see Casey leading Chris upstairs, her hand in his. "We can finally be alone, so no one can _bother us_," Derek overheard, probably because Casey was practically shouting it for his benefit.

He sighed deeply as he realized what he had done. He'd given Chris a perfect in for his plan. Casey was upstairs alone in her room with him, pissed off and vulnerable. A situation Chris could and would easily work to his advantage. And it was all Derek's fault.

**In Part 3**: How will Derek react to Casey and Chris alone in her room at his party, Saturday night? And how will Casey finally get her second kiss? Everything will be answered, in this final part of '_Second Time's the Charm_'.

A/N: Okay, so this was a pretty long chapter/part/whatever. Hopefully you enjoyed it, nonetheless. Please review if you get a chance to. It would really mean a lot to me and I'd like some more feedback!


	3. Part Three: Not Exactly Prince Charming

**Second Time's the Charm**

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A/N: Well here it is, Part 3! My story is finally complete. Hopefully you enjoyed it… for the most part it was just a light-hearted silly fluffy Dasey story. If you enjoy my writing, check out my other full-length more angsty story called 'Delicate'. Also, I'm coming out with another full-length story soon, which will have a more comedic feel, so look out for that! Thank you very much for the past reviews; if you're able to, please review this chapter and tell me what you think! I would really appreciate it.

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**Part Three: Not Exactly Prince Charming**

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_Saturday, 11:12 pm_

…

"So, Der-bear, what do you do for fun?" Brittany practically purred from her seat on the arm of Derek's favourite chair.

"Oh, you know… a little of this, a little of that. Hockey, partying, music. Whatever," he replied, swivelling around to see if he could get a better view of the stairs. Maybe Casey and that punk would be making their way down any moment? But, no such luck.

"Oh that sounds like fun!" Brittany said with a slight giggle. "I'm like really _good_ at partying." She leaned forward, taking Derek's collar in both her hands, and drawing him closer.

"Oh, is that right?" Derek replied with a stiff smile, as he tried to pull away from her.

"Especially parties for two… if you know what I mean," she said in a whisper.

Derek laughed awkwardly. "Oh I know what you mean alright. Listen, I…" but he stopped, noticing that the petite blonde was now sniffing his neck. She was actually _sniffing_.

"Mm, you smell nice," she smiled. "What cologne is that?"

"Uh, it's soap and shampoo," Derek replied as he wiggled around, uncomfortably. No girl had ever come onto him so obviously before, and instead of enjoying it, he was worried about Casey. _Damn that Casey_, he thought to himself. _She ruins everything._ "Okay, listen Brittany…"

"Why don't you give me a ride home?" she suggested with a coy smile. "You can maybe, like, stay for a little while… my parents are out of town on business."

"As nice as that offer is… can I take another rain check?" he asked, as he stood up suddenly. "Casey's been upstairs with that guy for a while now, and I'm worried about her… I'm worried about my sister you know," he gave Brittany what he hoped was a convincing smile.

"Okay, you know what Derek? I'm starting to, like, think that she's _not_ just a sister to you!" Brittany exclaimed, obviously annoyed at the rejection.

"What?" Derek scoffed. "That's ridiculous!"

"No, you're the one who is like, being ridiculous. Following her around all night? Like, please. Figure it out, and like, go talk to her, and then maybe I'll let you take me home after."

Derek sighed. "Okay. Listen… I'll be right back," he said quickly as he ran up the stairs. He'd only be a minute. He'd check on Casey, and make sure that she was okay and then drive Brittany home. It'd be done in five minutes. Ten tops. Plus, he was probably worrying about nothing. Guys like Chris were all talk and no action; they were most likely listening to a John Mayer CD while Casey whined about her problems.

Derek leaned casually against Casey's door, trying to hear what was going on. He heard '_Your Body is a Wonderland_' playing softly in the background and rolled his eyes. Casey was so predictable. Lifting his fist up, he rapped softly on the door. There was no answer.

"Case?" he called. Again, no answer.

"Casey?!" he exclaimed, louder this time.

There was a muffled sound of movement inside the room, and then finally a voice replied. But it was Chris's. "Dude, she's busy. Talk to her later!" he yelled.

Derek narrowed his eyes suspiciously. If she was so busy then why didn't she yell out "Der-_EK_!" at his arrival to shoo him away? No, there was definitely something going on. And Derek was about to find out what.

"I'm coming in," he announced, and swung open the door. Casey was lying on the bed, almost completely covered by Chris who was lying on top of her. The buttons of her shirt were undone and he had his hand cupped tightly over her mouth. It was obvious what had been going on, and Derek seethed with anger.

"Get off of her!" he yelled furiously.

"Chill out man," Chris replied as he removed his hand from Casey's mouth. "I wasn't doing anything."

"Get off of me!" Casey cried as she struggled under his weight.

Derek grabbed hold of Chris's shoulders and pulled him off of Casey forcefully. "Get out of my house!" he pushed Chris out of the room. "And don't even think of coming back to school or another one of these parties. I'm going to tell everyone what an asshole you are. You'll never be able to show your face around here again," he spat angrily.

"Whatever," Chris replied sourly and made his way down the hall. Derek slammed the door after him, his breathing erratic. He was furious.

As he turned his gaze to Casey though, crying silent tears, his anger dissolved into grief and regret. He couldn't believe that someone would do that. Especially to Casey.

Silently he made his way back over to her, sliding onto the bed. With care not to upset her, he lifted his arm and gently placed it around her. To his surprise, Casey's head dropped onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Case," Derek whispered after a while, not knowing what else he could say.

"Thanks," she sniffed, her voice thick from the tears.

"What did… did he do anything?" he asked reluctantly.

Casey shook her head silently, then after a brief moment, opened her mouth to speak. "No… he tried… I mean he kissed me and he was taking off my shirt when you came up. If you hadn't, I don't know…"

"You would have fought him off Casey," Derek replied quickly, pulling her closer to him. "You're strong. I know from experience how good your left hook is."

Casey laughed lightly. "Thanks, I think."

"We're going to call the police and tell them about that guy, okay?"

"But…"

"No, seriously, Case. You don't want him doing that to other girls, do you? Ones that haven't had the defensive training that you've gotten, living with me?"

"Okay," she said. "You're right."

"Is there…" Derek paused, to consider how to word the question. "Is there anything I can do? To help?"

"Derek Venturi, being responsible and mature… asking if he can help me," Casey said with a sniff. She smiled up at him. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Hey!" Derek replied, a little defensively. "I've been trying to help you all night, if you haven't noticed."

Casey nodded. "Yeah… thanks. Thank you for that."

"So is there anything I can do?"

Casey shook her head with a sigh. "No… no, but thanks. I actually think I want to be alone for a while… to think things over and stuff," she offered with a shrug.

"Okay, I understand," Derek said as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. "I'm going to get the party to wind down now, and start cleaning up." He walked over towards the door, ready to leave, but then paused turning back towards Casey. "If you need me, you know where I am."

She nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He actually found himself reluctant to leave Casey. What was happening? His stomach was in knots, his throat was dry, his palms sweaty… this feeling was foreign to him. Making his way downstairs to say goodbye to people, Derek wondered if perhaps he was feeling a little more than concern for his step-sister.

………………………

_The Following Monday, 4:06 pm_

…

"Happy Birthday Derek!"

Casey blinked twice. "Huh?"

"Oh, sorry Case," Edwin said as he ushered Casey in and quickly shut the front door.

"We thought you were Smerek!" Marti explained.

"Nice set-up guys," Casey smiled, impressed at the organization of her family. The living room and dining room was littered with balloons and streamers everywhere. Presents were piled on the table next to a huge chocolatey-chocolate cake. Oh yeah, Derek was one lucky kid. Except for once, Casey wasn't jealous. She was genuinely happy for him. "I want to be part of the surprise!" Casey exclaimed.

"Well he'll be home any minute," Lizzie said quickly.

As if on cue, the door swung open, and there he was. "I'm home!" Derek called, a grin stretched across his face.

"Happy Birthday Derek!" everyone said in unison.

"Thank you, thank you all," he bowed. "How nice of you to think of me… what a surprise!"

"But _Smerek!_ How could it be a surprise if you told us exactly what to do?" Marti asked.

"Heh… well…"

"You mean this isn't a surprise? You organized everything?" Casey asked, smiling in amusement.

"I had to make sure they did it right," Derek said with a smirk. He hoisted Marti up and carried her over to the dining room table. "Now which first? Cake or presents?"

"Cake!" Marti squealed.

"Hmm… I choose presents," Derek stated.

As he began to rip through the paper on a gift, Casey realized that she had forgotten hers. She ran upstairs quickly and grabbed the carefully wrapped present, carrying it downstairs with her.

"Thanks Dad, thanks Nora," Derek grinned. "A new stereo system for the Prince," Derek remarked to Casey.

"Great!" she replied brightly. "Now you can open my gift!"

"Casey," Derek raised his eyebrows with a sarcastic smile as he held up a thick paperback. "I already opened your gift. '_How to be more Considerate, a book about kindness'_. Thanks, Case."

"No, no, no," Casey scoffed with a wave of her hand. "That was the old gift. This one's the new gift…" she held out the present to Derek, and his eyes widened.

"Marti, what do you say it's cake time?" Derek suggested quickly.

"YAY! Cake, Cake, Cake!" she squealed.

"Cake before dinner?" Nora asked confusedly.

"Hey, it's my birthday," Derek reminded her with a sly grin.

"Uh… sure," she sighed. "Lizzie, Edwin, get the plates and cutlery please."

"Come on, sis," Derek commanded with a smirk, as he grabbed Casey's arm. "You can show me your gift upstairs."

"Derek? Casey?" Nora called after them. "Where are you going?"

"Casey's going to show me how to work her present," Derek replied casually. "You guys start without us."

"But what about blowing out the candles?"

"Ah, that's kid stuff. Let Smarti do it."

"Thanks Smerek!" Marti began to dance around, singing. "I get a wish! I get a wish!"

Derek and Casey headed up the stairs, towards Derek's room. "Step into my office," he remarked with a sideways smirk.

Casey stepped carefully in, looking around before she took a seat on Derek's bed. "You know, I think this is the first time I've been invited in," she pointed out.

"You know, I think you could be right," Derek agreed as he sat down right beside Casey, their thighs touching.

"So…" Casey said, as she glanced around awkwardly.

"So…"

"Want to open your present then?" she asked eagerly, handing it over.

"Right down to business, I see? Cool."

"Just open it," Casey said, as she bounced her knee nervously.

Derek tore through the paper, revealing a rectangular velvet box. "Oh a necklace? You shouldn't have, Case. _How romantic!_" he said in a girly voice.

"Keep going, stupid," Casey laughed.

Derek popped open the box, and there sat two tickets to the White Stripes concert. "The White Stripes?!" Derek gasped. "I've never actually gotten to see them live! Thanks Case!" he hugged her quickly and Casey blushed in response.

"Do you like them? You can take Sam if you want…"

"Like them? I love them! But why waste a perfectly good ticket on Sam? This is ideal for a date."

"Oh," Casey's face fell. "I'm sure Brittany will love them," she said softly.

"Who wants to take Brittany on a date?" Derek scoffed. "I was thinking I'd take you."

"_Me_?" Casey asked happily. "A date? Really?"

"Yeah, well… if you want to," he grinned, enjoying the look on her face.

"Of course… of course I do," Casey sputtered. "Thanks Derek!" she reached out to hug him again. "So is this your favourite present then?" she asked proudly.

"Oh yeah," Derek nodded. "Though your book comes a close second. Very informative."

Casey laughed awkwardly. "Oh yeah… sorry about that. I got that for you before…"

"I know," he said quickly.

"Do you want me to take it back? Cause I can…"

"Sorry Case, rule number one in the book. Always accept gifts."

"It does not say that!" Casey exclaimed as she reached for the book from Derek. "Give me that!"

"Oh yes it does, read the back."

"'_Rule One_'" Casey read. "'_Always accept gifts. Especially this book_.' Nice."

"Well they gotta make their money somehow," Derek chuckled. "So about that birthday wish…" he slung an arm around Casey's shoulder.

She raised her eyebrows. "I wasn't aware we had discussed a birthday wish."

"We didn't," Derek said simply. "But I didn't know how to bring it up."

"You don't get a birthday wish," Casey teased. "You gave it away to Marti."

"A technicality," he smirked. "It's my birthday and I should get a wish, candles or not."

"Sorry Derek," Casey shook her head. "Your wish is null and void."

"Fine, then it won't matter if I told you what my wish would have been… will it?"

"I don't see why not," Casey smiled, anticipating his answer.

"I wish," Derek whispered, as he reached forward to hold Casey's face, his fingers tangled in her silky hair. "For a kiss," he breathed, her mouth achingly close to his.

There was a knock on the door.

"_Fuck_," Derek groaned, as he fell back on his bed. Casey sighed. "I _knew_ I shouldn't have said it out loud," he remarked to Casey. "Then maybe it would have come true." Casey shrugged with a sheepish smile.

Someone knocked again.

"WHAT?!" Derek bellowed. "What is it? What do you want?"

"Uh… I was told to bring you guys downstairs. For cake," Lizzie's voice replied. "But I'll be going now… sorry."

"Let's just go," Derek sighed, as he stood up, extending a hand to help up Casey. "We'll finish this later."

……………………

_The Previous Friday, 1:26 am_

…

"Just whistle while you work," Derek sang to himself. He then proceeded to whistle a tune, as he threw some paper cups in a garbage bag.

"I wasn't aware you were a Snow White fan," a voice remarked from behind him.

"Casey," Derek called with a grin. "Grab a bag and join in the fun."

"Only if you promise not to ditch and make me do all the cleaning myself."

"Prince Charming's honour," Derek said as he handed her a garbage bag.

"No offence, but I think you're more of a Dopey guy myself," Casey smiled as she began to collect garbage.

"Yeah well… you're more of an ugly stepsister… ha-ha!" he teased.

"Wrong fairytale, dumbass."

Derek shrugged. "Marti likes Snow White so I've watched it a couple of times with her," he explained suddenly.

"That's sweet," Casey said with a smile.

"Yeah, well," Derek shrugged again with a stiff smile in response.

"How was your night?" she asked.

"It was alright… I was a little distracted."

"Yeah… sorry about that," Casey replied, embarrassed.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault," Derek said quickly, as they continued to pick up trash.

"Wow Derek that was a surprisingly mature thing to say. Actually you've been acting really mature all night. Are you feeling okay?" Casey asked.

"Well I am a year older," he said in faux-seriousness, and then cracked a grin. "Nah, I don't know. It's just been a weird night."

"Yeah, for me too," Casey nodded thoughtfully. Derek glanced her way and watched her as she continued to pick up trash, a pensive look on her face. She looked kind of beautiful, in a melancholic way.

"Want to help me take out the garbage?" he suggested.

"Sure."

He led the way out the door, carrying two garbage bags full of trash himself, while Casey carried one. He paused at the front steps and stopped Casey. "Why don't we sit for a minute?" he suggested.

"Okay…" Casey set down the garbage bag and parked herself on the top step, while Derek sat beside her, careful to keep a good five inches of distance between them. "What's up?" she asked curiously.

"Are you okay?" Derek inquired suddenly.

"Oh… oh yeah, I'm fine," Casey shrugged.

"Come on Casey," Derek insisted. "I assume you don't want to tell Nora or my Dad about this…"

"No," she said quickly. "I don't. So please don't mention anything."

"I won't," he agreed. "But you should talk about this with someone…"

Casey raised her eyebrows. "And you think that someone is you?"

"Well, I'm the only one who knows right?"

"Yeah but…" she paused, twisting her mouth thoughtfully. "I didn't really think you cared."

"Of course I care, I'm your—"

"If you say something about us being brother and sister one more time, I'll…"

"Sorry," Derek interrupted quickly. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't really think of you as a sister," he mentioned.

"Hey, that's good. You're no brother of mine."

"But… like I said. I care, and if you want to talk…" Derek started slowly.

"No, really it's fine," Casey shook her head emphatically.

"Okay well…"

"It's just that," Casey interrupted quickly. "I just have the worst luck with people."

"How do you figure that?"

"Ever since I broke up with Max, no one knows who I am anymore… everyone's calling me Stacy."

"Don't forget Macy," Derek smirked. Casey shot him a glare. "Sorry."

"This is the first party I'm invited to in ages, and the first date in what? Four months? And he turns out to be a total creep. I'm honestly starting to think there's something wrong with me, Derek. I'm always the reason why my relationships won't last. Things are always going fine for a month or two and then they just… disintegrate. The sad thing is, you hate long-term relationships and yet you've had girlfriends that have lasted longer than mine with Sam _and_ Max. Combined." Casey sighed.

"I don't give advice very often, so listen up and _don't_ get used to this. As tempting as it is to agree with you about something being wrong with you, I can't Case. There's nothing wrong with you," Derek explained. "You just need someone who can keep up with you. Sam's my best friend, but the guy isn't exactly a master of wit. And Football Max had all the charm of… well…something not very charming. You keep going for guys who aren't good enough for you. That's your problem. Find a guy who can not only keep up with you, but challenge you… who can keep things exciting. That's what you need to do."

"Yeah," Casey agreed excitedly, nodding. "Yeah, you're right." Her face fell. "But who? The only person who I've ever met who's always challenged me and kept up with me is…" her quick-talking stopped as she went silent, an unrecognizable expression flashing across her face.

"Is who?" Derek prodded

"Well…" she continued. "You. Actually." Casey glanced away, embarrassed. Curiously she chanced a look at Derek and he was smiling, a real genuine smile for once. Not a smirk or a smug grin, but a smile. It was nice for a change. "You know Derek," she remarked. "You're not such a bad guy. You're actually pretty… cool." His smile stretched into a grin, and Casey cut in quickly. "But," she said. "If you tell anyone I said that, I'll have to kill you."

Derek shook his head with a smirk, amazed at the girl in front of him. Listening to an impulse, he reached forward, smoothing back a stray piece of hair. "You know, Case," he said slowly, quietly. "You're the quirkiest, craziest, klutziest…most _amazing_ girl." His face softened into a small smile. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll have to kill _you_." He grinned then and Casey's smile grew into a grin to match his, as she gazed into his eyes. But Derek shook his head quickly, snapping out of some sort of spell.

He stood up, dusting off his jeans. "Listen, it's been real, Case, but I need some beauty sleep if I'm going to be presentable for Birthday Extravaganza Day 2 tomorrow. So could you finish up the rest of the cleaning? Thanks, Casey," he said quickly, making his towards the front door.

"Hey!" Casey snapped. "What happened to Prince Charming's honour?!"

"You said it yourself, Case. I'm not much of a Prince Charming," Derek smirked.

"Whatever," Casey said as she rolled her eyes. "Hey Derek?" she called. He stopped, and swivelled around, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "Happy Birthday."

……………

_The Following Monday, 6:54 pm_

…

As Casey wandered the halls of her house after a dinner of every greasy food imaginable, searching for a certain messy-haired non-brother of hers, she suddenly felt herself being tugged backwards.

"What the heck?!" she exclaimed, but was instantly cheered when she realized that she was in the upstairs hall closet. With Derek. It was Derek, wasn't it? She glanced over her shoulder, and there he was; sideways smirk and all. Casey was suddenly keenly aware of Derek's arms, wrapped around her waist, his face; pressed up against her hair. She turned around, lifting her arms up to place her hands around his neck. This was it.

"Sorry this isn't the most romantic spot," he mumbled, his face inches from hers. "But we seem to keep getting interrupted a lot."

"Really?" Casey responded, hoping her nerves weren't showing too much. "I hadn't noticed."

Just as he leaned forward to kiss her, there was a knock on the door. "Derek what are you doing in the closet? Is Casey in there with you?" Edwin's voice called.

"I'm busy! Get lost!" Derek replied, a slight edge to his voice.

"Are you sure—"

"Ed, I said get lost!" Edwin shuffled away. "Now," Derek said, turning back towards Casey with a smile. "Where were we?"

"There's no point!" Casey exclaimed shrilly. "We're just going to get interrupted again! It doesn't matter where we are… the library, your room… now the closet! Even my fantasy's failed me!"

"Fantasy?" Derek raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Tell me more."

"We were in a closet," Casey whined. "And then it happened! Just now! And now it's ruined. All because of the stupid second kiss rule."

"What second kiss rule?" Derek interrupted.

"You know! The one! The one that makes it harder to have a second kiss because of expectations and over-thinking and awkwardness…"

"I don't think any of that's been a problem, Case. Maybe for you, but then again you always over-think things. Our problem's been annoying interruptions. That's it."

Casey paused her ranting. "You think?"

"Uh huh," Derek nodded slowly, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Let's get rid of that problem, shall we?" he leaned closer.

"No!" Casey exclaimed. "There's no point. We're just going to get interrupted again. And again. And again. I'm never going to tame the wild beast, we're never going to get over the dreaded stigma of the second kiss, and I'm going to be Stacy, alone forever—"

Casey continued to babble on, as Derek observed her, his eyebrows arched in amusement, a contented smile stretching across his face. She was just too cute.

Derek was never a worrier or a planner; he just _did_, to hell with the consequences. So in this instance, he didn't really think—he acted.

"—And then if we went to that concert, you know if we tried to kiss in the middle of the crowd, someone would spill a drink on me or… wha—"

Derek cut Casey off, kissing her passionately on the mouth as he ran his hands down her long silky hair, and down the curves of her waist, finally settling his hands there, as he pushed her closer to him, deepening the kiss.

Casey was always the planner, the worrier; Derek was the act-first-think-later guy. But it worked. They fit perfectly together, because they were each other's perfect match.

This dawned upon both of them during the dreaded second kiss, and they finally moved apart, smiling shyly at each other.

"See?" Derek said. "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Casey agreed happily as she laced her fingers through his.

"You worry too much," he teased. "So... what's this about taming the wild beast?"

_**..Fin..**_

………………………

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the story! Sorry for the super cheesy ending, but I think this story called for it. I'd like to note that I don't take sexual assault/harassment lightly, so apologies to any of you if you've experienced something like that. It's an unfortunate thing to happen to anyone. Please note that I tried to treat it responsibly. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone with that. Anyways… if you enjoy my writing, please check out my other LWD stories! Reviews are treasured and beloved things, so please don't hesitate to review! Thank you for reading!


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